This Sunday’s worship service will be held in the Lighthouse instead of on the lawn. Pastor Brett will be ‘beaming in’ from another location!
When inside, we will follow all CDC guidelines. This means you must wear a mask to attend in person. The service will also be online as usual.
Thanks and see you Sunday!
Share from your week; where have you seen God at work?:
Kari – Good morning everybody. Unfortunately, I watched the news the other night and I don’t do that very often but, once in a while, I feel I need to see what’s going on in the world. It was of course very discouraging, there was the rising of the Covid cases, the Taliban and all the political stuff; the heat wave…. So, I had received this booklet from some friends of mine who had been missionaries in South Africa; they got stuck here and now they have become missionaries down in New Mexico working with the indigenous peoples down there. Anyway, they had sent me this through their missionary support group – What We Can Learn From Tree Stumps. So, I thought - I’m going to start doing this, I kind of need a new thing. It just really spoke to me. One of the things it talked about was persevering prayer. It says – Persevering prayer for people, places and cultures can most certainly be used by the Lord. It brings the scent of water into a situation that appears to be a totally dead stump, resulting in unexpected and surprising new growth. So, that really spoke to me and encouraged me; I just really thought God was talking to me.
Pastor Brett – Amen. Thank you, Kari.
Fred – I had a little medical procedure and I haven’t gone through many of these where they actually knock you out. I was freaking out a little bit about it. And when they wheeled me into the room, right before they were going to put me out, the doctor reached over and said – Do you mind if we say a little prayer before I start? And I was like – Oh yes, that felt so good! I was so excited, just the thing I needed at that moment; letting me know that God was with me right at that moment.
Pastor Brett – Yes, oh my goodness, that’s amazing! Awesome, and everything went well… So, Praise God!
Wendy F. – My God Sightings are medical-related, as well. About a week ago, I had to go into the ER. I had some heart issues and they got pretty out of control and I had a heart rate of 170 bpm for about 4 hours; they had to shock me out of it to get me back to normal. So, my first God Sighting is that God let me live right through that. Because bodies are amazing and they can endure a whole lot more than I realized they could. Then my second God Sighting is – with that came up a wonderful workup to try to diagnose me; it looks like I have the most benign version of heart issues. Which is an incredible God Sighting to be blessed, if you have heart issues, to have something that is unlikely to kill you just sounds glorious. So, I’m just full of gratitude this week.
Wendy. So glad it was not something more serious, oh my goodness. Praise God! Wendy Pursinger says - Your work is not done! You are not called home!
Mimi – I have a plant of Wendy’s that I water every morning. From the crook of the plant that holds it up, I was watering and there’s this tiny little spider; I’ve never seen a spider so small. He has spun a web that is just beautiful and I would be careful to water around him. Every day the wind would come and blow his web apart and he would be back the next day building it again. I saw that day after day after day. And I thought – What a commitment to himself and God who made him. That if we could be blown away every day, would we have the courage and the belief in God that he will help us if we just keep on building our web, instead of going down in defeat? And I thought – How wonderful that God makes His creatures and allows us to benefit from their experience down to the tiniest one. And I thank God for all the creatures on the earth.
Pastor Brett – Amen. Thank you, Mimi. That was so beautiful, wow. Yes, I get so discouraged when my web gets blown over; takes me a while to get back up. Thank you for the lesson from the spider, Amen.
Got 15-20 extra minutes? Help Pastor Brett set up for Sunday worship at 9:40 am, and/or stay after the service to help put things away.
A little help goes a long way!
Merry Goldthorpe is organizing a Westside UMC table for the Western Farm Workers anniversary dinner. It's at Calvary Lutheran church in Hillsboro, outdoors, on August 21, 6:00 to 8:00 pm. RSVP to Merry Goldthorpe directly via text (503-840-7410) if you have questions or would like to come celebrate.
Western Farm Workers are collecting school supplies for this Fall semester. We will be assembling each students' required items and delivering them on September 4th. This same-day sort and distribution is an efficient and fair system. There will be no clothing in this years' event. If you would like to donate school supplies or backpacks, please bring them to the church with WFWA or Merry Goldthorpe written on it. You can also call the WFWA office at 503-681-9399 and make arrangements to drop it off there. A very heartfelt thank you to Paige, who has already donated generously.
It has been a difficult summer for the migrant workers and those families that take on extra work for the season. The extreme heat is dangerous for the health of the workers, and the crops can be damaged, causing less fruit to be harvested. WFWA brought fans, clothing, drinking water, and food out to the larger migrant camps. We worked with the Washington County Health Dept. to get supplies and vaccines to the community. If you are interested in volunteering with us, please call us.
Two years ago this month, Westsiders made their first loans through Kiva.
As the loans were repaid, the money was re-applied to other small businesses.
Today, 23 loans later, Westsiders contributed $25 (matched!) to Rabboni Group Limited, a cooperative that supports over 600 Ugandan farmers. We joined over 2400 other lenders (so far) on this particular loan.
Maize is the most highly cultivated crop in Uganda, grown by over 3.6 million agricultural households. More than 80% of maize farmers lack access to adequate storage facilities for grain. Trade is largely informal and unregulated. Prices offered to farmers at harvest are barely enough to break even, locking farmers in a vicious cycle of poverty.
Rabboni Group Limited bridges the market gap between large maize off-takers and smallholder farmers in Uganda, adding value to the maize supply chain through efficient aggregation and processing services. With the loan, Rabboni will be able to buy 611 metric tons of grain from over 600 farmers and satisfy unmet customer demand. Rabboni will also purchase 19 metric tons of improved seed for 950 farmers.
Thanks to your support, Kiva is making a difference all over the world.
Share from your week; where have you seen God at work?:
Jan – I just want to share something that the Word had come alive for me, for this particular verse – 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are charged into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” And when I thought of the fact, when we look into the living Word which is Jesus, we are changed literally. And if we go to the Word, we can be encouraged. I was so discouraged yesterday, they had put Wayne on hospice and I believe he’s really not ready for hospice, but anyway I just went with it. So, they brought the hospital bed yesterday and left it; that seemed to make it so final or something…. Then, I went to this verse and it just shot out that when we go to the Word, He just shoots us up with encouragement. I thought to myself, that’s right, when I look into the Word of God; it may not always be the first verse you look at, but it was this time for me… It will give us encouragement, peace and joy, it’s in the Word of God! If we go to the Bible, He will encourage us! Then, it was so neat because then the neighbor called and asked – Is there anything I can do for you? She’s about the same age as my daughter and she’s just lovely and always wanting to help…. I thought to myself - yes, I’ll let her come over. She was so good with Wayne, I couldn’t believe it. He got up out of the chair and into the new bed. He didn’t want any part of the new bed; wouldn’t even go near the bed….. Anyway, it was so miraculous the way that Word just shifted me off of the negative and I could see the positive. And then if she doesn’t call me and say that she can come over. You know, sometimes if you’re working with someone and you are the caregiver for that person, and it’s been months and they get a little nasty sometimes; I get a little nasty sometimes. But, when there’s a fresh face that comes into the picture, it makes all the difference. It was just like I had seen the face of God when that woman came in and she started working with Wayne. God is so good, we are changed by the Word; and you don’t have to read sometimes several chapters, sometimes it’s the first one you come to. I have to leave early and go to Wayne’s church and tell them what’s happening. You know there are 2 churches praying for Wayne and there is no way the devil is going to take him out with all those people praying. So, we’re going to trust answers, answers are coming.
Pastor Brett – Amen. Perseverance through prayer. Yes, awesome.
Bryan – I had a revelation. You can never make a deal with the devil, because he has to make a performance according to the contract. Therefore, if he has no truth in him, how can he make a contract…(inaudible)….there is no truth, so the contract is broken as soon as he makes it. My computer is acting up.
Pastor Brett – I had a blessing this week, you might have heard we had a Covid scare…. I had several God Sightings this week, and they were all Covid negative tests. Also, getting a negative test allowed me to do a wedding on Friday. I haven’t done a wedding for about three years and it was awesome to be able to be with people on their big day and for them to come before God, family and friends, it’s a really special moment. So, glad I was able to participate in that. I’m actually going to meet another couple down in Santa Barbara and I am going to do their wedding next year. That just so happens to coincide with a retreat that I have down at my Alma Mater this next week. So, weddings are in the air for me which are a huge blessing. Luckily, none of us tested positive. That would have really impacted my plans; all of our plans.
Rich – So, for about the past year and a half, I’ve been feeling less and less motivated in my job. Amotivation at work is not productive, as you can imagine. About a month ago I was informed of an opportunity within the company for a leadership position in another organization. So, I applied. It wasn’t quite on a whim, I hadn’t thought it out ahead of time. But spontaneously, I thought I should apply for this job, and so I did. And I received an offer. So, I have a new job at the same company, different organization; I am so enthused and energized again. I am no longer amotivated and I am very excited about this future, right! I’m not ready to retire anymore!
Pastor Brett – That’s amazing, Rich! Amen. That’s awesome, congratulations!
If you were unable to attend our online or in-person worship on Sunday, view it here:
Just a reminder that our church directory is online. To keep your information private, there is not a link to it on the website. You must enter westsidejourney.com/directory in the address bar (or click on the link in this post). There is no password.
If any of your information has changed, please complete the form on the webpage. A new printed directory is scheduled for this fall. Thank you!
Last chance to sign up for lunch this Sunday at Hagg Lake! Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4BABAF22AB9-hagg
Reminders:
Worship will begin at 11:00 am
There is a parking fee of $7 per car ($5 for seniors)
If you would like to be baptized in the lake, please contact Pastor Brett
See you at the lake!
The Oregon Health Authority collects and tests water from Hagg Lake for harmful algae, which can make you, your children, and your pets ill. Swallowing the water can be even more hazardous.
There are currently no algae warnings at Hagg Lake.
However, the OHA advises you to rinse off afterwards if you go into the lake. And know what to look for:
Don't go into water that looks foamy, scummy, thick like paint, pea-green, blue-green or brownish red. A good rule of thumb for you and your pet is: When in Doubt, Stay Out!
Here’s a flyer with more information: OHA algae flyer
Share from your week; where have you seen God at work?:
Susan D – Last night we got a call from the Tigard Police Department wanting to know if we had heard from Mya, Amy’s 13 year old daughter. And we said – No. He said – Well, she’s not in trouble, she did everything right, but here’s what happened… I guess she and her girlfriend were walking down Main Street in Tigard, and were followed and harassed by an older man on a bicycle. He run into them, he would harass them, chase them around. And the girls called the cops and they came out and arrested the man; he turned out to be somebody 36 years old from Texas and they don’t know much about him yet. Thank God that He was with the girls the whole time.
Pastor Brett – Amen, wow, sounds scary to me. Glad that Mya and her friend are okay. Praise God! My God Sighting this week is – It’s Ky’s Birthday today! He’s 6, and it takes me back to when he was born; just the overwhelming support that we had at the time. A Midwife that was very skilled, a Doula who was there basically to manage me and keep me and my emotions in check in the moment. I give thanks for my son, Ky’s, life and he’s such a blessing to me. Always a God Sighting, each day I get to spend with him.
Kari – Good morning. God gave me a couple extra hours on Tuesday evening because, I went to the Kaady Carwash and went through the carwash and was vacuuming my car, hit the wrong button and promptly locked my keys, my purse and my phone inside my car! So, the people there were super nice and provided their little office/lunch room space for me to hang out in until Joe got off work and was able to come rescue me. So, I had a couple hours to pray, meditate, zone out and be still. I think that God was just saying – Kari you just need to slow down a little bit.
Pastor Brett – Thank you, Kari. I didn’t realize my prayers for you would be answered in quite the dramatic way. Glad you were able to spend some more time with The Lord, Kari.
Krista – So, I’ve been over in Prineville since Thursday, kind of doing a getaway. Helping myself to some reading, some mind work for myself. And I came over with all the intentions to journal, to sit down and color, to read a couple of books – I’ve read one. I read one on Thursday and I sobbed for hours going through it. So, it’s been pretty therapeutic that way. But, the best part, and I think the total God Sighting is – I stayed at a horse ranch. There were two horses. Duke was very stand-offish and didn’t trust me, and didn’t trust that I was going to be okay with him. I kept saying – It’s okay, you can trust me. I kind of felt that to me that reassurance is what God’s been trying to reassure me – It’s okay, you’re going to be okay. Yesterday morning, as I walked out there to say good bye to him, he walked right up to me and kissed me right on the face! Like Hi! So, it was that total acceptance of who I was; that I was there and I was a safe person. It really hit hard for me. The other horse, on the other hand, Chance, was just a love, just 3 years old and it was so neat to see his full on exuberance, love like a child type of behavior, as well. So, those are kind of my God Sightings for right now and I’m sure I’ll have more.
Pastor Brett – Amen, Awesome, thank you Krista. I’ll go again - It’s Levi’s Birthday on Tuesday! So, I’m sure that will be a God Sighting event upcoming this week. Yes, Ky was born on the 25th, and Levi was born on the 27th! And my sister and I are also 2 days apart, 3 years apart; I’m September 7th and she’s September 9th. So, it’s kind of fun to have that 2 day separation running in the family beyond just my sister and I.
If you were unable to attend our online or in-person worship on Sunday, view it here:
We’ve just been informed that the roads around Westside will be closed today through Wednesday, July 28, for repaving.
So this Sunday will be an online only service. Maybe call a friend and watch together! Invite half a dozen Westsiders for brunch and a watch party on your deck!
And while you’re at it, plan your carpooling for next Sunday’s worship at Hagg Lake. :)
Thanks for your understanding and we’ll see you online this Sunday!
p.s. In case you’ve forgotten —
JOIN WEBEX MEETING
https://holtrich.my.webex.com/holtrich.my/j.php?MTID=m1313481070f04422e41d66529ac159e5
Meeting number (access code): 294 667 249
Meeting password: GodIsGood!
Thanks to those who have already signed up for Hagg Lake! We have about 30 confirmed for lunch so far!
If you haven’t signed up, please let us know if you are coming to our Worship at the Lake on August 1. Lunch will be provided and we want to be sure to have plenty for everyone!
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4BABAF22AB9-hagg
Reminders:
Worship will begin at 11:00 am
There is a parking fee of $7 per car ($5 for seniors)
If you would like to be baptized in the lake, please contact Pastor Brett
Share from your week; where have you seen God at work?:
Bonnie – Saturday night was our last night of the season for the migrant camp. Ed & Susan and Randy Loayza & I took dinner out and we had a good time. It was the last time for this year but we’re all looking forward to doing this again next year. They all probably will be back next year. I believe that every time we go out there that God is there with us; we continue to have relationships with these people and they know God too. We pray with them every night and it’s all good.
Pastor Brett – Awesome, thank you, Bonnie. Thank you for that testimony and witness; thank you for participating, everyone.
Wendy F. – We are fresh back from The Dominican Republic, 1 am this morning is when we got into our house. I could talk for hours which I won’t. In a short snippet, many of you prayed for us and we very much appreciated it. It was just a wonderful time of fellowship with a village that we now have seen 4 times and we just consider them family. So, just a quick snippet of what we’ve done as a community for those of us who have gone out. I see that Michele Milantoni is online… Globally, the first year we went out as a small group, they built their main school. The second year several of us went down, we built a basketball court in and painted their new dining hall. The third year, which was 2 years ago, we went out, we built a storage shed so, that they could increase their classroom size by moving storage items from the classroom to the storage shed. This year we had the pleasure of working on building an additional building. Michele, I will show you pictures; it will blow your mind. We did additions on a new building that will be an infirmary, a computer room and a library. So, more to come, particularly around computer needs. We have lots of good skill sets in our Westside Community and so I will be reaching out to folks; I’ll just make the needs known in general. I would love in a future week to do a bit of a slide show just so you can see the opportunities there.
Pastor Brett – Absolutely, thank you Wendy. So glad you guys got back safe and the trip was awesome.
Paige – On Friday we picked up Gwen, Finley, and Aurelia from camp. You know the two younger started the week on Sunday a little bit weepy with the idea of leaving moms for a whole week. Then they found Aurelia running into the field and she bear-hugged them like she had been waiting for them forever. So, that was the beginning of their week. And then there were also tears at the end of the week because they did not want to leave. It was just great and Gwen started talking the whole way home and then just literally passed out in the back seat because she was so exhausted. Just the joy on those kiddos faces, there’s going to be lots of conversations to be had for a long time. And I don’t know when we will ever get all the details out, but there’s no lack of talking between the three of them to share. Oh yeah, Neil reminded me that Gwen broke her voice because she was singing so much that her voice is a couple of octaves lower than when she started.
Pastor Brett – Awesome, thank you, Paige. She broke her voice…. Well, welcome back to some of our youngsters who went to camp.
Martha – I’m just going to warn Paige, Kat and Krista and all the parents of those children that when Sarah first went to Camp Magruder, that’s what started her on her path. So, we might have a whole hoard of Presbyterian Ministers coming up.
Pastor Brett – That’s awesome. Thank you Martha.
Krista – Yesterday morning, I got a phone call from one of my friends who went down to the river to kill himself. I had gone over on Friday to just kind of hang with him; I knew he wasn't feeling all that great and left at 2:00 in the morning to come home just to make sure everything was okay. I got a text that he was missing at 8 o’clock yesterday morning and finally heard back from them at 10:00, 10:30 and I texted him and said - Call me when you can. I don't want to push you to talk but, when you're ready call me. He called me and we talked and he said that he went down to the river and was just sitting there. And two little boys rode up on their bikes and started talking to him about his Jeep which is very much off-road with accessory Ducks stuff all over it. The two boys started talking to him about how cool the Jeep looks and stuff like that. They talked to him for about 10 minutes or so then took their bikes and went down to the dock with their fishing poles and sat in the exact spot that he was going to go down and kill himself in. And it was then that he realized that something, he doesn't really believe in organized religion and that's fine, but he said some higher power stopped him from doing it and he realized that what he was going through has no power over him. So, that was kind of… I was like – Okay, thanks God! I know you don't go for that, but thanks God! Higher power, whatever you want to believe at that point…
Pastor Brett - The Highest Power! Thank you Krista. Lots of God sightings this week. Awesome!
If you were unable to attend our online or in-person worship on Sunday, view it here:
Are you interested in being a part of an informal small group for the summer?
All it requires is a desire for food, fellowship, and fun and is hosted monthly in a Westsider's backyard. Contact Pastor Brett (pastor@westsidejourney.org) for more details or to be added to the list.
Please let us know if you are coming to our Worship at the Lake on August 1. Lunch will be provided and we want to be sure to have plenty for everyone!
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4BABAF22AB9-hagg
Reminders:
Worship will begin at 11:00 am
There is a parking fee of $7 per car ($5 for seniors)
If you would like to be baptized in the lake, please contact Pastor Brett
If you were unable to attend our online or in-person worship on Sunday, view it here:
We apologize but we had technical issues on Sunday. The sound is unreliable.